Wildfire shuts down highway to Yosemite, threatens town of Mariposa

A dangerous heat wave that has ravaged California has sparked new fires in the state this week, including one that broke out on July 4 and is threatening the town of Mariposa, outside Yosemite National Park.

Weather experts across the state warned that high temperatures will persist in some areas through the weekend, increasing the risk of new wildfires in the coming days.

“These conditions are so hot that anything that can start a spark can start a fire that can grow very quickly,” said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

The French fire started just before 8 p.m. Thursday near French Camp Road off Highway 49, just northwest of Mariposa. High temperatures and strong winds quickly spread the fire to more than 1,000 acres, officials said.

By early Friday morning, the fire had burned 2,100 acres (843 hectares) and was moving southeast toward Mariposa, closing one of the main highways into Yosemite National Park, State Route 140, which becomes El Portal Road. The fire was 5% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

According to a report from the Mariposa government, nearly 200 homes with more than 300 people were under evacuation orders in evacuation map of the province.

“Bulldozers and hand crews have established a fire line around the entire eastern side of the community of Mariposa,” Cal Fire’s Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit said. posted on Facebook“As fire activity diminishes, firefighters continue to target and concentrate on the eastern side of the fire.”

On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that his office has secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which provides 75 percent reimbursement for firefighting costs. A similar grant was secured earlier in the week for the Thompson fire.

The National Weather Service predicts temperatures in Mariposa could reach 108 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday, 110 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday and 108 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday. At night, temperatures will never drop below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, which will keep the landscape from absorbing moisture and make fires less likely to start.

After a wet winter, the early summer heat is causing the state to burn. Ten fires started in the state on Thursday and another Friday morning, The Cal Fire incidents page is displayed.

The weather is offering little help to firefighters this year. Although summer is well underway, the heat California is currently experiencing is considered early for this time of year, meteorologists say.

“We normally get these temperatures more in August,” Kittell said. “But even if this was August, it would still be in the upper range of heat. We’re talking about some of the inland areas, like the deserts, that [likely] and break their all-time temperature records, regardless of the day and month.”

The French fire is the largest new fire in the state, but the largest fire in California is the Basin fire in Fresno County at 14,015 acres and 46% contained. The Thompson fire in Butte County that has threatened Oroville was also 46% contained as of Friday morning and is 3,789 acres, Cal Fire reported.

In the south, the National Weather Service warned that fire activity will remain high through next week, particularly in the foothills of the Antelope Valley and the foothills of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. These areas are prone to high winds that could fan the flames.

Inland, Palmdale Airport set a daily record with a high of 110 degrees Fahrenheit, breaking the previous record set in 1973, the National Weather Service said.

And it may be some time before relief comes.

On Saturday, some areas could experience the warmest days ever recorded.

Two Antelope Valley cities known for their summer heat, Palmdale and Lancaster, could see their heat records break on Saturday, with temperatures of 113 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively. Temperatures are forecast to reach 115 degrees Fahrenheit in both cities.

Kittell expects the heat to be at its peak in Southern California on Friday and Saturday, until the northerly winds shift to a more offshore wind on Sunday, bringing a slight cooling effect off the ocean.

This means that outdoor activities during the long weekend can be strenuous.

“Maybe a walk on the beach, instead of a tough hike in the mountains,” he said.

It’s also extremely hot in the Inland Empire, with temperatures in the triple digits this weekend.

People who go to the beach to cool off should take extra precautions. Strong sea currents are expected, which can cause waves of 90 to 180 centimeters high. Rip currents and powerful beach breakers can also occur.

Dakari Anderson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento, said the heat is expected to last longer in the northern part of the state. The heat advisory is in effect through Tuesday.

According to him, temperatures in the region are expected to remain between 35 and 43 degrees Celsius and it is likely to remain warm for the rest of the week.

According to Anderson, Red Bluff broke a daily record on July 4 with 106 degrees Fahrenheit, and the rest of the region remains unusually warm for this time of year.

“We don’t normally see heat of this magnitude in July,” he said, adding that by the end of next week, several areas are likely to break records for consecutive days of temperatures over 100 degrees, and perhaps even over 105 degrees in some areas.

Newsom this week directed the Office of Emergency Services to activate the State Operations Center in response to extreme heat warnings across much of the state.

In Los Angeles, the city opened four additional “augmented” cooling centers in anticipation of the high temperatures. Officials said the locations were intended to help the county’s other cooling centers, including libraries and recreation centers, with extended hours.

The state’s Office of Emergency Services also has an online list of cooling centers across the state, with locations listed by county.